Philippine court denies bail for top Duterte rival after 6 years detained

FILE PHOTO: Philippine police escort Leila de Lima, a senator detained on drug charges, on her way to a local court to face an obstruction of justice complaint in Quezon city, metro Manila, Philippines March 13, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

MANILA (Reuters) -A Philippine court on Wednesday rejected a bail request by an ex-senator and chief critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte, prolonging her six years of detention on drugs charges that she insists were baseless and politically motivated.

Leila de Lima, 63, was hit by a slew of charges in 2017 within months of launching a Senate inquiry into Duterte's bloody "war on drugs", during which thousands of users and dealers were killed by police or in mysterious circumstances.